How can you tell if someone is drowning?

Even if they can swim, they could find themselves in powerful waves or deeper water than expected.

And despite best intentions, sometimes we can lose sight of our kids in a busy pool or packed area of water.

Drowning doesn't look like drowning

First off, it's important to note that if your child (or even your partner) is in trouble in the water, it might not look like drowning as you see it in films or TV programmes.

Because of something called the Instinctive Drowning Response, a person having difficulty breathing in the water is more likely to go silent than shout for help.

And because their body lacks air, they won't be able to move their legs or flap their arms to splash to get attention.

Explaining what happens in his blog Soundings Website For Boaters, experienced US Coast Guard Mario Vittone puts it like this:

"[Drowning] does not look like most people expect it to. When someone is drowning there is very little splashing, and no waving or yelling or calling for help of any kind."

This, he says, explains why of the 750 children who will drown in the US in a year, around 375 of them will be within 25 yards of their parents.

What should you look out for in the water?

Someone who is drowning probably won't be able to wave their arms, and their mouth will most likely go in and out of the water.

Key signs that someone might be drowning are:

• head low in the water, mouth at water level
• head tilted back with mouth open
• eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• eyes closed
• hair over forehead or eyes
• not using legs
• hyperventilating or gasping
• trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• trying to roll over onto the back
• appearing to be climbing an invisible ladder.

And Mario has one key thing for mums and dads to remember:

"Parents - children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why."

What should you do if your child has a near-drowning incident?

If you have had to rescue you child from possibly drowning, or even if they have been under water for a relatively short amount of time, you should be aware there could be risks of secondary drowning or dry drowning.

You need to make sure you keep a close eye on them for the next 24 hours for symptoms including:

• blue lips
• pale skin
• coughing
• trouble breathing
• sleepiness
• vomiting
• soiling themselves
• change in behaviour or forgetfulness.

If they display any of the above you should get them to a doctor or hospital immediately.

h/t Mario Vittone

Images: Getty Images

Read more:

• Mum's warning as her 6-year-old nearly dies in pool filter accident
• What you need to know about dry drowning and secondary drowning
• Mum defends distressing abby swimming video